I saw a 560SL for sale locally. The limited info I have is that it's gone 200 miles on a rebuild and the three photos attached. Euro lights but US bumpers that have some sort of patina on them. I noticed that the tags are a year+ out of date too. Most of the cars around here are garaged seasonally due to the rust.

Price $5000..... seems like a good deal. I am not as familiar with the R107's. Are there any things that would immediately rule it out other than a salvage title, dubious records etc.

What got on the bumpers? Maybe someone tried to restore them with some harsh agent. I've gotten old bumper rubber to look new (and not just for a week) with 320 grit wetordri sandpaper under hot water.

The 200 miles on a rebuild raises alarm bells, unless there's a great explanation.

Looks a nice car - Strife, that's exactly the same boot lid as my '88 Euro (I just went out in the cold to have a look) but with an added 3rd light, so perhaps it's a Euro 107 with added US safety features ( Bumpers, 3rd brake light etc).

I'm not too keen on the wheel arch chrome, particularly up North with the extra salt on the road. They're great for hiding beginning rust from the unknowing. Even better for giving rust a great place to start.

Rebuild of what? The engine? The transmission? The wheel weights? The seat cushions? By whom?

What is the VIN? Run it through the Russian MB club VIN checker. That will tell you more about the delivery date and configuration.

How long has the owner had the car? What is the history of any prior owners?

For the price it seems like a good car. I don't own a 560SL so I will tell you what I have heard and my observations.

I suspect that they painted something on the bumpers or used some kind of solution. The car appears to be rust free but check the inside of the floors as these cars rust from the inside out.

There is some funkiness on the 560SL where fuel lines appear to be routed through A/C lines that I have heard can be problematic. Either the heater core , or evaporator core can be expensive to replace because it's an 8-10 hour job. Other then that, from what every mechanic has said when I suggested buying a 450SL or Euro 500SL is to buy a late model 560SL because MB made a lot of good revisions to the car which is beneath the skin.

the 560 is a nice car and the 89 is a good year. As mentioned - rust and poor maintenance are the big issues. Get VIN checked as mentioned and find out as much as you can about past service history. If the startign price is 5K , I'd say that is fair. I parted out an 83 and sold over 2K worth of parts, and I sold em cheap!
Heck the headlights are worth 500

Re general items to check--HVAC operation, radiator neck, timing chain history, ideally get a look under the valve covers especially on the left (where oil-related wear seems to occur first). Bodywise check the top well, the spare tire well, the rocker panels and jacking holes, and along the inside of the front fender edges under the hood with any visible crossmember/frame components. Cruise controls apparently are often a problem, though mine has been perfect and depending on your use that may not be a factor for you. My overall MPG driven gently is 15-17 depending on mix of town and highway driving, but of course you're not ALWAYS going to drive it gently, we hope! Love mine; came close to pulling the trigger on a 129 but it doesn't have the carved-from-a-block-of-granite feel of the 107.

__________________
Craig Bethune

'97 SL500, 40th anniversary edition

'04 Olds Bravada (SWMBO's)
'06 Lexus ES330
'89 560SL (sold)

SL--Anything else is just a Mercedes.
(Kudos to whoever said it first)

I calculate mpg at every fuel fill. I get consistently well over 17mpg with my well maintained 560SL. My driving is mainly rural with a little city driving maybe twice per week. I don't dog it. The car is a daily driver on which I put 12420 miles in 2008. Mileage in excess of 18mpg is common and I have gotten over 20mpg on a non-stop 220 mile trip.

I suspect the "patina" on the rubber bumpers is paste car wax.
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As for mileage I can't say what a 560sl will get but I get around 12-15mpg in urban driving in my 420sel. I suspect my mileage might be a bit on the low side as my drive to work is less than 15 minutes and the car barely gets warmed up.